Camping is a popular recreational activity, and accordingly, there are many items of camping equipment available. This equipment includes camping shelters, such as for example, tents for erection on the ground, recreational vehicles having integral shelters, and shelters for use in connection with pickup trucks. The shelters of the latter category frequently include panels and frames that are assembled on the beds of the pickup trucks so that the resulting structure incorporates a roof or other overhead protection, side walls constructed of canvas or nylon, frames for supporting the roof and side walls, and one or more sleeping beds. When not assembled to form a shelter, these components are collapsed and stored in or over the beds of the pickup trucks for traveling from one camping location to another.
There are disadvantages however with known structures for use on pickup truck beds. Some designs have a profile wherein the shelter structure, while in its stored configuration, extends above the pickup truck cab or extends behind the truck beyond the truck tail gate. This can result in reduced aerodynamic properties as well as a less than aesthetically-pleasing appearance. Other designs are not well adapted for use with so-called “short bed” pickup trucks, because they do not provide a sleeping bed of sufficient length for comfortable use by many adult users. Yet other designs require an excessive number of steps by the user to erect the collapsible structure over the pickup truck bed.
What is needed therefore is an improved, collapsible shelter attachment for use with a pickup truck that overcomes these and other disadvantages.